A/N: Fun fact – the very end of this chapter (and the beginning of the next) was the very first scene I imagined before starting to write this. It's still among my favourites.
The coursework for the fifth years was reaching an incredibly difficult amount as October began. "Your O.W.L.s are looming ever nearer," said Professor McGonagall one day during class, when Mary Macdonald had nearly burst into tears from stress. "The work will only get more difficult."
"Great," sighed Remus.
"You two look exceptionally calm," remarked Emmeline one day of James and Sirius while waiting outside the classroom for Defense Against the Dark Arts to begin.
"Well, it's all common sense, really," said James.
"Yeah, and some wand waving," agreed Sirius. "Nothing too much to stress about."
Lily rolled her eyes at them. It was very annoying how easily everything came to them.
"Says the girl who masters charms on the first try," said James, noticing Lily's expression.
"That's only one subject," blushed Lily.
"And what about potions? Slughorn adores you."
"Yeah, but I owe that to Severus," Lily admitted, and James immediately changed the subject.
When they were all seated, Professor Hobday stood and addressed the class in his normal, quiet, and subdued way. They rarely had practical lessons; when they did, Hobday, despite his appearance, was not stern enough to keep his students under control. More often than not, the room would erupt into chaos as James and Sirius did their best to show off.
So today, like most days, was expected to be just a lecture.
"Has everyone seen the article that was printed in the Dailey Prophet this morning?" asked Hobday.
No one said anything. The class eyed each other guiltily; they all knew that they should keep up with current events. However, it seemed that no one in the class, not even Lily, had seen the article. Lily had forgotten to renew her subscription to the Prophet and never got around to doing it.
"Well, I must say that I am disappointed," said Hobday, frowning slightly. "Especially after everything that Dumbledore said in his start of year speech, I would have expected each and every one of you to take a greater interest in the goings on of the wizarding world today. Well, no matter. I will read it to you.
"'You-Know-Who Gathers Followers. As You-Know-Who continues his rise to power, loyal supporters of the cause are gathering together. At the heart of these supporters seem to be You-Know-Who's very assistants to the reign of terror that he is beginning to impose on our world.
"'Sightings of groups of wizards and witches wearing dark robes and masks concealing their identities are beginning to make appearances in public places, cursing anyone and everyone who attempts to get in their way. Last Saturday, approximately four Ministry employees were injured, and two Muggle passerbies killed due to these groups.
"'On several occasions similar to this, witnesses have heard these masked supporters of You-Know-Who refer to themselves as Death Eaters. These Death Eaters likely make up You-Know-Who's inner circle of supporters. They act as his hit men and his servants.
"'Hanging above each of these incidents of attacks, in which there has always been at least one death, is the grotesque image of an emerald skull in the sky, with a serpent protruding from its mouth.
"'We at the Dailey Prophet write this to encourage everyone to be alert of these happenings. If you come across any masked wizards or witches please alert the Ministry of Magic immediately. If the sign of the emerald skull, which is believed to be You-Know-Who's mark, is hanging above any building, the Ministry urges you not to enter the establishment, and again to alert the Ministry straight away."
Hobday held the paper up for the class to see. Under the bold headline was a black and white picture of a ghostly skull, with a snake slithering unpleasantly out of its mouth. "The woman who took this picture and wrote this article was found dead this morning." The class was silent. Every face was slightly paler than before.
"I read this to you not to scare you," said Hobday, folding the paper and placing it back in his briefcase, "but to alert you. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to make sure that I keep my students updated on the happenings of our world. If ever there was a time that you needed to be prepared and know how to defend yourself against the dark arts, it is now.
"I expect you all to start reading the Dailey Prophet. If you do not all wish to get a separate subscription, I advise becoming a friend with someone who already has one, or chipping in with a group to order one."
They spent the rest of the class learning the theory behind the Stunning Spell, in preparation for the practical lesson they would have for the following class. Lily, along with every one of her fellow students, listened more intently than she had all year to Hobday's lecture. His words had inspired a new fire in them all.
"I want to renew my subscription," said Lily simply as she left the classroom. The Marauders, along with her dorm mates, agreed immediately to help pay for the paper.
It had been two weeks since Lily and Severus had been able to have their weekly potions experimenting Thursdays in the dungeons, because of all the homework they had been receiving. Finally, there had been enough of a lull in the homework that Lily said she could meet Severus in Slughorn's classroom that night. Slughorn never minded lending the room and his personal stores to his prized potions students.
"However, you must promise to come to my next Slug Club meeting! I noticed neither of you managed to come to the first one," he wagged his finger playfully at them. "Halloween, after the feast. Wear a costume! And bring a date!"
"Ugh," said Severus after Slughorn had left, and Lily busied with lighting the fire under the cauldron. "I can't believe he made us promise to go to that. I'm not wearing a costume."
"I don't know," said Lily thoughtfully, "it could be fun. Maybe I'll ask Remus if he wants to tag along…"
Severus looked highly alarmed. "Why?" he demanded.
"Because he's my friend," Lily laughed.
"But we always go together when we're forced into Slug Club meetings."
"Breathe, Sev," said Lily. "Of course we'd still go together. But Slughorn said to bring a date, and seeing as how Remus isn't part of the Slug Club, I thought he might want to come along. There is no other reason than that," Lily added, raising her voice slightly and talking slowly. "Though if there was," she said, avoiding his eye, "it really wouldn't be any of your business."
Severus looked like he had just been slapped in the face. "Oh," he said simply.
Lily quickly backtracked."Sev, it's not that –"
"No, it's okay, I get it," Severus was saying quickly, and in a strained sort of voice.
"Did you bring the book?" asked Lily, with the air of wanting to change the subject.
"Yeah," said Severus, adopting the same tone. Severus pulled a thick potions book that read Advanced Potion Making from his bag. "What should we try tonight?"
They spent two hours messing about with potions. When they discovered something useful, Severus would learn over the book and write tiny notes in the margins with his cramped scrawl. When ten o'clock rolled around, they started packing up.
"Goodnight, Sev," Lily said as she flung her bag on her shoulder.
"Goodnight, Lily," Severus said quietly.
They parted ways, and Lily felt the distinct impression that, again, there was something changing between them. She couldn't pretend that she didn't know about Severus's feeling toward her anymore; she also could not pretend that she felt the same way about him. Lily loved Severus, she truly did, he was like family to her; but she was not in love with him. Sometimes she wished she could be, though; and she did try, during their previous year, to look at Severus the same way that he looked at her; but she couldn't do it. He felt too much like her brother. She imagined that it hurt nearly as much to not be in love with Severus as it hurt Severus to be in love with her.
Lily was so lost in thought that she found herself on the fourth floor with barely any recollection of walking up four flights of stairs. She stopped for a minute to make sure she knew where she was going, and was just about to continue onward when she heard voices down the corridor to her left. She dashed behind a suit of armor and listened closely.
"-can't believe how far you guys have come!" a voice was saying. A voice that Lily realized a second later belonged to Remus. "Do you really think you'll be ready by the upcoming full moon?"
"I really think so," said James. "I thought it would take longer to become good at this whole animagi thing, but I've never felt more comfortable transforming into a stag-"
"WHAT?" Lily had half jumped, half fallen, out from behind the suit of armor.
All of the Marauders jumped. For a millisecond, the world froze, with Lily and the Marauders staring incredulously at each other. Then Sirius, clearly panicked, pointed his wand at Lily and yelled, "Stupify!"
Lily's world went dark.